It is generally known that in connection with the operation of an organization, the organization may and generally does compile internal data regarding the operation of such organization and the like. Notably, if the organization has customers, members, or the like (hereinafter ‘members’), such internal data may relate to such members, and may in fact include information that may be considered personal or confidential with regard to the organization, each member, or both. For example, the data may include the identity of each member, non-public personal information for each member, financial information regarding each member, a user name and password for each member, product ownership information regarding each member, insurance data regarding each member, and the like. Moreover, the data may include with regard to the organization estimated claims and expenses associated with each member, an internal classification of each member, whether the member is in good standing, data sharing preferences for each member, whether the member is considered an especial risk, and the like. Regardless of the type of internal data, though, it is often if not always the case that the organization wishes to ensure the privacy of non-public information as well as maintain the internal data as being confidential, proprietary, and not for public disclosure.
Nevertheless, there may in fact be times when the internal data of an organization is shared with an external entity. In particular, the organization may be subject to external oversight that from time to time requires access to portions of such internal data. For example, if the organization is a financial brokerage that is a member of an exchange, the exchange may from time to time require an audit of relevant portions of the internal data of the financial brokerage to ensure compliance with rules established by the exchange. Also, if the organization is a bank or the like, the bank may from time to time be required to submit to an audit by the chartering entity that chartered the bank as well as by other regulatory entities. Similarly, if the organization is a contractor performing contract work for a client, the client may also from time to time require an audit of relevant portions of the internal data of the contractor to ensure compliance with terms established for the contract work. Likewise, if the organization is involved in a lawsuit as overseen by a court system, the court system may as part of a discovery process thereof or the like allow a review of relevant portions of the internal data of the organization by an opposing party or an agent thereof. As one last example, if the organization is an insurance company that is regulated by a governmental entity, the governmental entity may from time to time require an audit of relevant portions of the internal data of the insurance company to ensure compliance with insurance laws and/or regulations relating to the governmental entity.
In any case, when an organization allows any external entity to review, audit, or otherwise access (hereinafter, ‘audit’) some portion of the internal data of an organization, the organization exposes itself to the danger that the external entity may be able to access other internal data of the organization that is not relevant to the audit. Such a danger is compounded if the external entity can not only access such non-relevant internal data but copy and externally distribute same.
Accordingly, a need exists for systems and methods for defining the internal data of an organization that may be accessed by an external auditor auditing the organization, and for restricting access by such an external auditor to such defined internal data and no other internal data of the organization. Moreover, a need exists for such systems and methods that prevents the identified auditor from viewing or otherwise accessing any other internal data of the organization, and that prevents the identified auditor from accessing any systems of the organization not deemed necessary to access the defined internal data of the organization.